Weasel
Featured in: Year 2: Living things and their habitats
Reading level:
Weasel
Mammal
A tiny, fierce predator found in woods, fields, and hedgerows.
💡 Fun Facts
- The weasel is the UK's smallest carnivore, small enough to slip down a mouse hole!
- They have incredibly fast metabolisms and must eat every 24 hours to survive.
- When hunting, they sometimes perform a mesmerizing 'weasel war dance' to confuse their prey.
Name Story
Mustela nivalis
means “the snowy weasel”
What does its name mean?
- Mustela — weaselLatin
- nivalis — snowy, of the snowLatin nix 'snow'
In the cold north this tiny hunter swaps its brown coat for pure white in winter, hiding in the snow — which is just what 'snowy weasel' describes. In Britain's milder lowlands it often stays brown all year round.